A Fish Out of Water
by GrnEydDvl
Summary: A bird may fall in love with a fish, but where would they make their home? A HitsuKarin oneshot. Just random fluff.


**This is just a little randomness. The idea caught hold of me and wouldn't let go. **

The orange rays of sunset spread out over Karakura town. They illuminated the river, passed over the roof tops, and onto the face of a white haired taicho who sat on the roof of Inoue's house in a deep reverie. He was thinking about her. Again. It seemed that she was all he thought about these days. She occupied his mind every waking moment, and had even begun to creep into his dreams. He sighed. It was wrong. So very wrong. They would only end up getting hurt if things stayed like this. He closed his eyes and let the soft breeze play with his hair. The next time he saw her, he decided, he would do what needed to be done.

He felt her reiatsu and his heart jumped a little. For once, he did not welcome it. He had hoped that he could live with his illusion just a little longer. But there was no point in dragging it out.

"Karin," he whispered, wanting to smile and cry at the same time. The time had come.

"Hey Toushiro!" she said, plopping down beside him. "We missed you at practice today."

"I was training," he replied, not meeting her eyes. He didn't think he could keep his composure if he did.

"What's up?" she asked, noticing his mood. "You seem upset about something."

"I'm fine," he lied, still not making eye contact.

"Maybe this will cheer you up," she said slyly, leaning over and capturing his lips in her own. Hitsugaya melted into her kiss like he always did. It was warm and comforting and held so much hope and promise. A promise he couldn't return.

Hitsugaya pulled away long before he wanted to, and Karin gaped at his sudden movement.

"Karin," he said seriously, looking away from her again. "I can't…I can't keep doing this." Karin gasped.

"What do you mean?" she asked, and Hitsugaya turned to her, hating the look of pain that had just crossed her face.

"I mean, the longer this goes on, the more it's going to hurt. I'm a shinigami. A taicho. You're a human. I live in Soul Society, you live here. This can never work. The sooner we end it…the better." Karin stared at him for a moment, then puffed up with rage.

"What the heck do mean, the sooner the better?!" she shouted angrily. "Then what was the last few months for? Was I just some easy play for you?" Hitsugaya looked affronted.

"You know that's not true!" he spat. "How dare you even suggest it?!"

"How dare you just ignore what we've got!?" she cried. "I…I love you!" Hitsugaya's hands curled up into fists and he squeezed them as tightly as he could. He could feel blood start to trickle down his wrists from where his fingernails dug into his skin. Why did she have to say that now? Why? All he wanted for the last few months was to hear those precious words pass her lips, and now, at the end, she finally comes out and says them. He took several deep breaths, trying to regain his composure.

"A bird may fall in love with a fish," he said tonelessly. "But where would they make their home? I'm sorry Karin." Hitsugaya stood up. If he stayed with her any longer, his willpower would break. He looked down at her. She seemed on the verge of tears. It broke his heart. She never cried. Never.

He removed his captain's haori and held it out to her. She looked at it with disgust.

"What's this for?" she sneered.

"Something to remember me by," he said hopefully. Karin shot up to face him.

"_Remember you_!" she screamed venomously. "Why on earth would I want to remember you? You broke my heart! I want to forget you as soon as possible. Goodbye, Hitsugaya Toushiro!" And with that, she stormed off the roof, leaving a heartbroken and pathetic Hitsugaya behind.

"I had to do it," he said, trying to reassure himself and failing miserably. "The love between a shinigami and a human; it's just too hard."

ooooooooooooooooooooo

Several months later, Karin was sitting in class, trying not to dose off, when something black and white flew in through the window. Well, not something exactly. More like someone. Karin gasped as Hitsugaya approached her desk. She turned away from him, refusing to look at him, and pretended to be concentrating intently on the teacher's boring lecture.

"Karin," he said gently, stopping by her side. "I'm sorry for approaching you like this, but I knew there was no other way I could force you to listen to me, and I need you to hear me out." Karin scowled, but knew there really was nothing she could do in this situation. All the same, she pretended not to have heard him, which was ironic, considering she was the only one in the room who could see him.

"I thought that breaking up with you was the best thing for both of us," he said seriously. "I thought that, since it's too hard for us to be together, we should both search for happiness in our own worlds. That that was the right thing to do." He sighed. "I over-think things and act on logic rather than emotions. And all it does is end up hurting those I care about most. I'm sorry." Karin looked up at him, and the smallest hint of understanding crossed her face. The child genius was admitting to a weakness. And he was apologizing. The least she could do was listen to him properly.

Hitsugaya noticed that she was finally looking him in the eye, and smiled weakly.

"Karin," he continued. "Remember how I compared us to a bird and a fish?" She nodded.

"Well," he said, taking a deep breath. "Without you, I'm just a fish out of water." Karin gasped and a grin slowly spread itself across her face. She raised her hand.

"Sensei!" she called to her teacher. "May I use the bathroom?"

"Be quick about it!" her teacher replied and Karin raced from the room, Hitsugaya at her heels. The second the door was closed, and she saw that the hallway was deserted, she rounded on him, kissing him with all her might and pressing him up against the wall behind him.

"That is the most romantic thing I have ever heard," she said, slightly pink in the face. "And coming from you? Honestly, I didn't think you were capable."

"Neither did I," he confessed.

"So how many times did you practice that speech?" she asked mischievously. Hitsugaya blushed.

"About a dozen," he admitted. "So, my little bird, will you teach me how to fly?"

"Only if you teach me how to swim," she replied before kissing him again.

**Ok, sappy I know, and not my best work, but hey, sometimes the idea bunny just gets you. If you want me to write something better, go respond to my poll so I know what kind of story I should write next. Thanks for reading, reviews are always appreciated :)**


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